The prior art has put forth several designs for hand control mechanisms for driving an automobile. Among these are:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,628 to Anton J. Reichenberger describes an automotive control system for use by handicapped drivers who have lost the functional mobility of their lower extremities. A second wheel concentric with the steering wheel is added such that it is reachable by either the thumb or fingertips when hands are on a steering wheel in normal driving fashion. Movement of this second control wheel in a direction away from the driver actuates the automotive braking system through an electro hydraulic servo system. Pulling the second wheel towards the driver actuates the throttle of the automobile through a similar servo system. The brake and throttle interfaces with existing automotive control systems so that very few additional add on mechanisms are necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,734 to Bishnu P. Bhattacharya describes a pair of hand grips claimed to the steering wheel. The grips are connected by a pair of cables extending through flexible tubes to opposite ends of a pivotable bar mounted on the steering column of the steering wheel. The opposite ends of the pivotable bar are respectfully affixed to the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal of the vehicle. Pressure applied by an operator's hands on the hand grips selectively depresses the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. Springs mounted in the hand grips and at the distal ends of the tube maintain the cables in the open position yieldable to pressure on the hand grips.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,946 to John V. Masters and Norris R. Harod describes a hand operated automobile brake and accelerator operation assembly for the handicapped that is readily transferred from car to car without tool and is adaptable to various models of cars. The assembly is installed by clamping manually operable wing nuts on the brake pedal shaft as the sole fixed connecting bracket on the car. The brake pedal and accelerator pedal are respectively operated by pushing and pulling by hand an operating rod to move an operating lever fulcrumed on a pivot axis fixed relative to the brake pedal shaft. This operating lever moves an accelerator operating shaft into contact with the accelerator pedal to depress it as the hand operated rod is pulled. Conversely when pushed, the hand operated rod depresses the brake pedal and releases the accelerator. To accommodate different car models, an accelerator operating shaft has a manually operated lock to fix its length and the accelerator assembly distance from the brake is adjustable.
None of these prior art references describe the present invention.